Savior in Neverland
by onceuponamirror
Summary: AU: When the Evil Queen burns the wardrobe, one pirate captain is left with a single choice: rescue the savior, whisk her away to Neverland, or risk losing his revenge. As a result, Emma grows up with a life of adventure as a Lost Girl in Neverland, blissfully unaware she's the only one aging...until a painful lesson from fate steers her destiny back on track. Captain Swan.
1. Prologue

Bloody horses. He hated the beasts—loud, oversized dogs, in his opinion—but there had been no time to be picky. He'd stolen the first horse he could find, a brilliantly black mare with inky eyes. _If horses could smirk_, he'd thought.

A flash of lightening reflected over the Queen's castle, thunder echoing in his ears; he was sure the curse was soon to follow. "C'mon love, _faster_," he urged the steed, digging his heels into her sides. The Queen's men were likely taking the troll road, but he knew he could beat them by a good twenty minutes if he cut through the forest.

_But the Queen burned the wardrobe_, a small voice reminded him. _Just what do you think will save that child now? _

He steered the horse in the direction of the forest, and after a brief moment's hesitation, she followed his lead, charging through the trees.

He had but one card left to play.

Reaching around his waist, he pulled a small pan flute from his satchel. He brought it to his lips as the mare leapt over a log, and for a brief moment, he was flying, the wind carrying his whistle to the stars, singing the song he could never forget.


	2. Chapter 1

_**One hour before**_

"You know what to do," the Queen's cold voice floated down the corridor. She wasn't speaking to him, but to someone else at the end of the hall. He looked up from his hook, relaxing the hand with the file. Nervously, his ears twitched. "Burn it. Then kill the child," she spat.

The shuffling of metal was quickly followed by the sound of her footsteps echoing down the hallway. He straightened against the wall, trying to appear like he hadn't been listening, but his curiosity was too far piqued. "You're going to burn Snow White's castle?" He asked the approaching Queen, forcing causality into his tone.

She flicked her eyes over to him disdainfully, pursing her lips as she considered him. Then, as if her pride got the better of her, a wickedly satisfied grin cut across her face. "I'm burning Snow White's _last hope_." She paced around him, her eyes to the ceiling in mock-innocence.

"I had a mirror planted by one of my moles; I've been watching those…_two_—Apparently there is a wardrobe which would transport their child, the savior, to a safe place, before my curse will strike." Then she clapped her hands, as if to signal a change in subject. "But that matter has been taken care of. Now, where is my mother's body?"

"Right this way, majesty," he said curtly, gesturing to the gilded door behind him.

She gave him a sidelong smile, her mouth upturned in a way that made even _him _uncomfortable. "Well done, pirate. I'm impressed. I'll see _you_ on the other side of the curse, _Hook_," she said smugly. Now he really _was _uncomfortable, which wasn't easy to do, but he quickly recovered, giving her a wink and tight smile.

Whatever she had planned, Hook wanted no part of it. He watched her disappear behind the doors, the gears already turning in his head. Cora hadn't told him much of her plan, promising the rest of the details after she took her daughter's heart, but he realized with the savior dead, there was no way the curse could be broken. No way for him to find Rumplestiltskin, unless he went along with the curse—but then he would be trapped there, too, with none of his memories.

There was only one move to make. He turned on his heel. He need a horse, and fast.

Everyone around him may have been playing chess—but it was about bloody time they realized a pirate could not be set to the board.

* * *

He was halfway up the wall of the castle when a peculiar smell drifted into his senses. He sniffed at the evening air, frowning at the familiarity of the odor. It smelled almost like… _Smoke_, he realized, eyes widening.

Hook craned his neck up, looking up the wall above him, and spotted a gray cloud billowing from the northeast tower. _Wonderful_, he griped, realizing he'd been climbing almost entirely in the wrong direction.

Grabbing for vines, he sank his hook into the wall of the castle and began maneuvering his way towards the tower. They had to make heroics so damn _difficult_; this is why he usually stayed far away from do-gooding. He made a mental note never to save a life again.

He heaved himself onto the windowsill of the nursery, panting and wild eyed. He gave himself a moment to catch his breath, a move he immediately regretted as a sharp, cold object poked into his gut threateningly.

_Brilliant._

"Don't come any closer," a woman's voice warned. Slowly, he raised his eyes from the blade to the woman, trying to keep the annoyance off his face.

He scanned the room, eyes widening at the sight of the Queen's fallen men, blood pooling from their dark armor. It was clear where the fire had been, but no wardrobe was distinguishable in what remained of ash and charcoal. His eyes fell on a figure in a white shirt stained with red. He was breathing, but barely.

_Damn it all_, Hook cursed. He was too late. The woman, her dark hair matted with flowers, registered his gaze to the unconscious man and raised the blade protectively.

Finally, he took in the woman herself. This could only be Snow White, her lips as red as the blood on her husband's shirt. Her cheeks shone with tears, and in her arms she clutched an oddly quiet newborn, swaddled in a white woolen blanket. The savior was still alive! Maybe he wasn't too late, after all. "I'm here to help," he said, raising his hand and hook to show he meant no harm.

Her eyes flicked from his hook to his face. "I doubt that very much, knowing who _you_ are—_Hook_," she snapped suspiciously.

"I can take the savior to safety," Hook pressed on, trying to conceal his frustration. He was too exhausted and annoyed to be properly charming—and besides, he had a feeling she might see right through it.

"And why would you do that?" She arched her neck back, eyeing him with a newfound curiosity.

_Tick tock_, a voice in his head warned. The Queen was likely on her way, now, with the curse soon to follow. "Because I need that curse broken, too," he hissed through a clenched jaw. "And I know of a place that she could grow up unharmed, until she's ready to find you."

"The wardrobe was burned," Snow mused softly, her grip on the sword relaxing.

A spark as bright as the blue star gleamed in his eye, a mischievous look overcoming his face. He had her, now. "There is another way. And you have no other options, as it would be."

Snow gripped the child to her bosom tighter, but the sword fell to her side. She looked over her shoulder, eyes falling on her husband. "Or…we could all be together," she said wistfully.

"Wishful thinking, that. The Queen is on her way here as we speak, highness, and I have it on good authority she has no intention of letting your child live through the night." Her eyes snapped up, narrowed before him. He had her full attention now.

"You—"

"Oy," a voice called from the window. They both turned to greet the owner of the voice, a young boy of maybe sixteen, with wild yellow hair, crouched on the balcony with a rather put out look on his face.

He glanced around the room, seemingly nonplussed by the blood. "Rather grim here, isn't it?" he observed impassively, his voice flecked with indecipherable accent. He cocked his head at the pirate. "Ya called, Cap'n? Woke me from a nice nap, mind you, but I figured if you were playing that damn flute again it must be important."

"Felix." The pirate smiled thinly, not skipping a beat. "You're right on time."

"Usually am," the boy replied with a roll of his eyes. "What's this all about?"

"Yes, what _is_ this all about," Snow interjected, daggers on her tongue.

Right. Hook had nearly forgotten about Snow. He pivoted towards her, glancing once more at the newborn savior. The baby opened its eyes, bright and blue, and held the gaze of the pirate. He swallowed, trying to mask his discomfort—he liked kids just fine, but babies were a deliberately alien topic for the pirate. He always saw them as just so…fragile.

"Felix here is going to take the savior to Neverland," Hook said lightly, tearing his eyes away from the baby.

Simultaneously, as if on cue, both Felix and Snow sputtered, "I am?" "He is?" Snow's eyes were as wide as the boy's, but more with fear than shock. She clutched the baby closer.

"There isn't much time for arguments," Hook said firmly, but gently, stepping towards the new mother with his hand outstretched.

"There's time for explaining," Felix called from behind them.

"Neverland?" Snow echoed, her brows knotted. "But…she'll never grow up. She'll be a baby for all of eternity. Time is stopped there." _Ah, so the savior is a girl_, he noted absently.

"Alas," the pirate replied smugly, "such is not the case. Only if one _chooses_ not to age, do they cease to."

Snow flicked her eyes to Felix for confirmation, which he gave with a curt, annoyed nod of his head. Suddenly, a shock of lightning filled the room, quickly followed by a clap of thunder and the loud ringing of a bell. Snow looked to the window fearfully, licking her lips. "It's here," she whispered, and glanced down at her daughter as if for the last time. She pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there, before striding to the window and holding the baby out to Felix.

He made no move to accept her. Rather, instead he sneered and looked to the pirate. "Can't _you_ just take her back with you, Cap'n P? I'll _give you_ the dust," Felix whined.

"Lad, I told you not to call me that," the pirate hissed, his eyes darkened. "And besides, you bloody well know I can't fly."

Felix glowered briefly, considering this, before snapping the baby from her mother's arms and levitating off the balcony. Snow's eyes widened at the sight of the boy in midair, but he didn't get far before the captain called out to him. "I'll have that extra dust, if you don't mind," he said, a wicked look passing over his face.

The corners of the boy's mouth lifted devilishly, and with a haphazard balancing of the baby that withdrew an uncomfortable noise from Snow, Felix fumbled in his pockets for a small, nondescript rucksack. He tossed it to Hook. "See you there," he called over his shoulder, darting into the wind.

By the time Snow tore her eyes from the sky, Hook was already ripping a curtain from the window, securing a knot on the balcony. He was halfway over the ledge when he paused, a grimace on his face. "There's time to make it to my ship. You can come with me, to the Neverland. You can still be with her."

Snow was already back by her husband's side, on the floor, cradling him. She looked to the pirate with a sad smile. "He can't be moved," she said softly, more to herself than Hook, "I won't leave him. Nor can I move fast enough in my state." Another crack of thunder filled the room, and her expression turned grave. "One last thing, Hook," she added, "Her twenty-eighth year. That's when she'll break the curse."

He nodded briskly, sending her one last look before lowering himself down the makeshift rope. _Twenty-eight_. Well, that wasn't so bad, at least not compared to 300 years. The Queen and her curse were on their way, and he had fifteen minutes to make it to his ship, at best. As it would be, his castle resided at the mouth of the bay that fed to the shore where he'd anchored. It was either sheer luck or sheer fate, but he thanked the stars regardless.

He hit the ground running.

* * *

The Jolly Roger was uncomfortably quiet. Smee stood at the railing, eyes desperately on the horizon. The captain had sworn he'd be back straight after he freed the Evil Queen's prisoner, the one who could help him seek the Dark One's dagger, but that had been _days_ ago, and Smee had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. _Where was he?_

Then, as if answering his thoughts, a wind carrying a soft song filled the deck of the ship, billowing through the sails and swelling in the ears of the crew. Smee's hairs stood on end; something was not right. The song gently faded, the wind moving it up towards the moon.

Smee whipped around, facing the frozen crew. He bugged his eyes at them, but no one made a move. "You heard the song! You know what that means! Hoist anchor! Prepare to sail!" He bellowed finally. As if snapped from a trance, they burst to life, scrambling and scattering to follow orders.

Lightning and thunder clapped overhead as a dark purple cloud began spilling over the mountains. Smee's eyes widened, looking to the forest just as a dark figure broke from it, running like hell towards the ship. He dove into the water seamlessly, and began swimming.

Smee crossed the deck, pulling a loose rope from a mast pole. "Someone help me hoist up the captain!" He called, and a few hands rushed to lower the rope overboard. Within moments, the captain had reached the bow of the vessel and was being hoisted up.

Breathing heavily, the captain shook the water from his hair and doubled over, hand on his knee. "Glad you got my message," he panted, laughing almost deliriously. He swore would sleep for two full days after all this.

Smee's fearful eyes were already back to the mountains, the purple smoke growing bigger and closer. "What _is_ that?"

"That," Hook breathed, pulling Felix's knapsack from his breast pocket, "is something I have no intention of experiencing. Anchor hoisted? Yes? Lovely." He pulled at the strings of the bag, tipping it upside down and holding his hand underneath to catch the golden, shimmering dust that began spilling out of it.

"Is that…" Smee trailed off. Hook shot him a devilish look, raising the cupped hand to his lips. He blew, hard, and the dust spread into the air, picking up in the sails, kissing the wood, swirling alongside the railing, turning everything golden.

The ship lurched into motion, creaking loudly as it lifted off the water. Hook crossed the deck, racing up the stairs to the helm. The ship was rising fast—and just in time, too, as the purple smoke, still crackling with electricity, had begun spilling over the bay.

Smee followed him to the wheel, eyes never leaving the smoke, now far below them. "Are we going—_back_?" He asked hesitantly.

Hook's reply was a grin was so wide it could swallow the sea. Smee twiddled his hands together anxiously. "But…how are we supposed to find it again without a magic bean, Captain?"

Hook laughed, the adrenaline still running wildly through his veins. He'd be lying if he said today hadn't been the most _fun_ he'd had in…ages. "That's easy, mate. Second star to the right," he yelled over the wind, giving the wheel a grand spin, "and straight on till morning!"

* * *

**A/N: So the chapter isn't as long as I'd intended, but I wanted it to be a really tight, concise one because this all takes place in the span of an hour. Note this story is 1000% AU-****because i'm posting this well before his episodes air, **I obviously have no idea what Felix's personality will be, or even whether his name is actually Felix or that's just a casting code. I should also warn that I won't hold back from including spoiler info as part of my plot...like Felix, for instance.

** And my upcoming inclusion of the lost boys is also pure speculation, as most of the original boys haven't been cast, as far as I know, but I included them for fun, because this is already such an AU, and mostly because I like writing them. Anyway, getting ahead of myself. Stay tuned! Here's a preview of what's next up: **

**_"Well, what is it?" A voice sounded, its owner leaning over the newborn baby with a frown. Another scruffy face joined in, and another, and before long all six of them were huddled round her. She blinked up at them, cocking her head curiously._**

**_"It says here it's an Emma," said Slightly, who could read. He traced his finger along the embroidery of her baby blanket confidently._**

**_"What's an Emma?" Curly's nose scrunched up._**

**_"I think it's a type of sandwich," piped in Nibs._**

**Reviews are always greatly appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 2

"Well, what _is_ it?" a voice sounded, its owner leaning over the newborn baby with a frown. Another scruffy face joined in, and another, and before long the six of them were huddled round her. She blinked up at them, cocking her little head curiously.

"It says here it's an 'Emma,'" said Slightly, who could read. He traced his finger along the embroidery of her baby blanket confidently.

"What's an 'Emma'?" Curly said, nose scrunched up.

"I think it's a type of sandwich," piped in Nibs.

"It's a _baby_," a voice filtered in from across the room. The boys straightened, glancing over at its source. He kicked off from the wall he'd been leaning on, rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "Emma is a name."

"A baby?" Curly echoed. "What's the fun in being a baby?"

"You were a baby once, you know," the boy said again, shaking his brown hair out of his face.

"Does that mean we get to call ya _Bae_-by now, eh, Baelfire?" Felix called from his seat at the end of the table. He had his pinky finger in his mouth, digging at a piece of food in his teeth, his eyebrows raised amusedly.

"Very funny," Bae said over his shoulder. He glanced back at the newborn, his mouth twisted into a frown. "I don't know what you were thinking, Felix," he said finally, "because there's no way the lot of us can raise a whole person."

"I know that," Felix snapped. "And it's not that I wasn' thinkin', I was just following orders."

"Don't know why you listen to him," Bae mumbled, lowering his eyes. "For all the ill you speak of him, you still always do what he says."

Felix's eyes narrowed sharply as he sat up straight in his chair, raising a threatening eyebrow. Feeling as though he was being challenged, Bae quickly added, "I just think…I don't know. Maybe she should go to the pirates. They're grown ups, and if it was the captain's idea, anyway, it should be his responsibility."

Relaxing, Felix leaned back, flicking his eyes between Baelfire and the newborn, Emma. "S'pose," he mused, his tone still veering on annoyed. He wasn't convinced, though; No, he thought it best to wait until Hook signaled _him_.

The moment he came to that conclusion, however, baby Emma opened her tiny little mouth and let out a wail that seemed unfathomably loud, given its source. Several of the boys leapt back, most of them regarding Emma as though she might explode at any moment.

"I agree with Bae! Take her to Hook!" Curly hollered from behind a chair, followed by a few other shouts of agreement from various hiding spots across the room. Bae shot Felix a pointed look, who rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright," he sneered, scooping up the screaming baby and holding her at arms length. She continued to wail, possibly even louder, if it were possible. "Maybe you'll stop yer hollering for the captain."

* * *

The moment he touched down on the ship, Emma quieted. Felix bewilderedly glared down at her, half appreciative for the silence—that had felt like the longest flight of his life—and half ready to chuck her overboard. He glanced around the deck; most of the crew looked mighty pleased to be back in Neverland, their hats off, heads turned up to the warming sun. It was around 3 p.m., which meant springtime was just about due.

He spotted the captain at the helm of the ship, having a heated discussion with the first mate, and flew up towards them, cradling the baby Emma in his arms. "Yer baby, Cap'n," Felix interrupted, shoving the baby into Hook's arms.

Hook stared down at baby Emma, who smiled back up at him. He blinked, frozen, and then quickly passed the baby back to Felix. "Not my baby, lad," he chuckled, almost giving away his nerves.

"I think she is," Felix shot back, returning Emma.

"You'll find that she's not," Hook glowered, visibly growing impatient as Emma changed hands again.

"You made me bring 'er here! I did it as a favor! She's _yours_!" He plopped Emma back into Hook's arms before crossing his own, burying his hands in his armpits so that he couldn't take her back.

Hook sighed, noting Felix may have a point. He turned his eyes out to sea, just now recognizing that he didn't quite think his plan all the way through before carrying it out. But, he didn't regret it; if he hadn't acted, who knew where he'd be now. Wherever that curse took them, it sounded bloody terrible.

"The lost boys can't keep a baby," Felix added, in a softer voice.

"Neither can pirates," Hook replied, sparing a derisive glance to his crew. He didn't gauge the maturity of his men to be worth much over that of a group of boys, really_. Neither can I,_ he also admitted to himself. He was no father, and he certainly didn't want to be one to a stranger's child.

He flicked his eyes back down to Emma, the child suddenly feeling so heavy in his arms. Belatedly, he realized he'd never truly held a baby before. There was something about her presence that was at once unsettling and still natural; he simultaneously wanted to keep her at arms length yet protect her.

Even stronger still was the nagging in his gut telling him he, inexplicably, did not want to raise this child.

He wished he had somewhere appropriate to set her down, or hand her back to Felix, but his arms remained sorely crossed. He even considered passing her off to Smee, still rocking on his heels behind him, nearly forgotten, but he would hardly even trust the bumbling first mate with a bottle of good rum, let alone a _baby_.

Felix shook his head. "So you gonna tell me what's really going on here? Cap'n, if you didn't want the damn thing why'd ya nab her?"

"She's the savior," Hook sighed, turning his eyes back down to Emma, who had seemingly fallen asleep in his arms. Felix opened his mouth, a question on his lips, his nose wrinkled, but Hook plowed on. "The short of it…one very scorned witch decided to cast a terrible curse, one which ripped many from their homes, from their happiness. It took them to a new land, a place without magic. As it would be, this child was prophesied to break the curse. I need to get to that land, but I can only do that if this one does her job."

Felix snorted disbelievingly as he pictured the baby, swaddled in her white blanket, brandishing a sword. "That thing? It's not much bigger than a pixie."

"Well, I don't expect it any time soon," Hook snapped, rolling his eyes. Snow White's last message pierced his thoughts. _Twenty-eight_, her voice reminded. The memory was already somewhat dulled, and he'd only been in Neverland a mere number of hours. He always underestimated the way time moved around the island; it preyed on the mind, and always consumed the most important.

He'd learned _that_ the hard way.

_Twenty-eight_, he told himself again, and then made a mental note to write that down somewhere safe. He couldn't risk losing that vital piece of information. Emma hiccuped in her sleep, bringing Hook's eyes back down to her resting form. He couldn't even begin to picture this tiny thing aging into a girl, let alone a _woman_.

Hook sighed, shifting Emma in his arms as a thought crossed his mind. "Lad, it is of the utmost importance that Emma has no knowledge of her destiny. At least, not until she's ready. No child deserves to be burdened with a responsibility of such severity."

Felix swallowed his amusement, sobering. "Understood, Cap'n." He licked his lips, looking as though he wanted to add something, but held back. Instead, he said, "Well if you ain't raising her and I ain't raising her, what's the plan?"

"If I may, Captain," Smee called from the edge of the helm. Felix had certainly forgotten his presence, jumping into the air at the sound of his voice, but Hook knew he had been listening all along. "I have an idea, though I don't know how much you're gonna like it…"

* * *

"The things I do for vengeance," he spat to himself, thrashing his sword indiscriminately at the thicket before him. He hated the bloody Neverland forest, almost as much as it seemed to hate him.

Granted, it wasn't as…_vindictive_ as the local flora of Wonderland had proven to be, but Neverland's wood nonetheless never resisted an opportunity to trip him or send a leaf the size of a small child barreling into his jaw. He supposed it was still angry with him.

"I am not alone, if you hadn't noticed," he hissed to nothing in particular, as if the fern on his right planned to charge. He adjusted the makeshift sling that cradled the still, sleeping Emma - he'd been under the impression babies were more interesting than this, but all she seemed to wish to do was nap - tightening the strap over his back.

He walked up to a tree, closing his eyes and placing his hand on the bark, holding it there for a moment as if waiting for it to speak. Unsurprisingly, the jungle remained quiet. He shook his head, feeling silly and glad that he was alone, and then rounded the tree in search of the side which moss grew. There. North. The _opposite_ direction he'd going.

He would've liked to say that he still hadn't forgotten his way through the forest, but it seemed the pirate's ego would take yet another hit today. Mumbling angrily to himself, he turned on his heel and tromped through the brush, back the way he'd come.

Hook recalculated his route. The first time, he must've swung so wide around Pixie Hollow, desperate to avoid _that_ horrid place at all costs, that he walked right past Piccaninny territory unscathed. Fifty years ago, the scouts, who surely saw him or at least heard him slashing blindly through the forest, would've killed him on sight - or would've tried to, at least.

He couldn't help but brighten a little at the thought. If they hadn't shot him down the moment he got within two hundred feet of their land, it was a good sign. Perhaps it even meant they'd _finally_ let go of whatever they were mad about. He knew it was something big, something that had to do with a betrayal, but for the life of him, he couldn't ever remember what it was. However, what likelier saved his skin was the sleeping baby he carried on his back.

In fact, he'd been counting on Emma to keep him alive. There were still plenty of those who were angry with him, even angrier than the Piccaninny's and for far worse reasons.

He trudged along, his eyes sharp for any movement in his peripheral vision. If memory served—which he couldn't quite be sure it would—he should just about be entering Piccaninny territory.

Suddenly, a twig snapped behind him, and Hook instantly whirled around, raising his sword. The movement seemed to wake Emma, who gurgled in response. A tall man, his bare chest gleaming, stepped out from behind a tree with an empty smile and a knife in hand. "Hello, Hook," the scout sneered, disdain seeping through his accent.

The pirate returned the smile just as dryly, an eyebrow rising high on his forehead. He knew scouts didn't travel alone. They always worked in pairs. "Where's your friend?" Hook shot back, swiveling his neck from side to side.

"Behind you," another voice hissed, dangerously close. Hook pivoted to see a woman twenty feet off, with a drawn arrow, aimed dead between his eyes.

"Well, it's rude to forgo introductions," Hook quipped lightly, unsure which foe to face. "Unless you plan to skip the formalities of a duel."

"You won't be fighting us," the man laughed humorlessly, rounding in on Hook.

"I doubt that very much," Hook replied between his teeth, his patience dwindling. He had no intention of dying at the hands of the Piccaninny's, not when he was a mere hurdle away from his revenge.

The smile dropped from the scout's face, but not the hand brandishing a weapon. "We have orders not to kill you," he continued, visibly annoyed by that fact. "We are taking you to the chief. But if you struggle, we are allowed to…how was it described?" He looked to his companion for assistance, his mirthless grin returning. "Defend ourselves."

Hook surveyed the two of them, testing the air, before rolling his eyes and returning his sword to its sheath. This was going better than he'd hoped, but he wasn't about to let them see that. He gave his good hand a little twirl in the air. "Lead on, then."

* * *

The moon was rising slowly overhead as the scouts guided Hook through the heart of the village. He nodded to sparingly to a few as he passed them, a sarcastic smile plastered firmly across his lips. He knew he should be doing his best to be charming, given what he was about to ask of his enemies, but there was something inexplicable about this part of Neverland that set him on edge.

They reached a giant fire at the center of the village, noticeably devoid of people. The male scout's hands pressed down on Hook's shoulders, driving his knees into the dirt. "We wait here," he ordered gruffly as the woman with the arrows slipped off.

Hook stared into the flames, determined not to show his fear as his heartbeat rose. This plan better work, or everything was for naught. As if sensing his palpitation, Emma's tiny hands gripped his ears and gave a gentle tug, drawing a small laugh from the pirate that couldn't be helped.

The scout glared down, mouth still set in a grim line, urging the pirate to be quiet.

A pair of footsteps rounded the fire. First appeared the female scout, looking just as sober as her cohort, followed by a tall, older woman with long, dark braids and even darker eyes. Her lips were painted blue, upturned dangerously towards him. "Hello, Hook," she said coldly, now standing over him.

His mind raced. He knew those eyes. Why did this woman look so familiar? A name seared into his thoughts, whispered like a forgotten dream. He slowly lifted his gaze up to her, an eyebrow raised. "Hello, Tiger Lily."

* * *

**Whaaaat? Tiger Lily! Surprised? Hope so. **

**A little note: I realized I left out a crucial detail, which was Hook knowing how old Emma would be when she broke the curse. So I edited that in to the first chapter. That's what I get for posting this impulsively. I also opted for shorter updates because they'll be more frequent. This chapter was kind of fillery, but I still loved writing it. What about little Baelfire, huh? Curious how he'll factor in? :) **

**And again...this chapter is shamelessly AU. I'm way too invested of the character of Felix even though I completely made him up, haha. He always steals scenes from me. Another warning: I am really really busy and finals are starting to gear up, so I can't promise consistent updates. :( That's why the chapters will be shorter, so I can get more out. I promise soon we'll get some Hook/Emma banter. This is the last chapter she's a baby...but it was necessary for plot reasons.  
**

**Next Up: Emma has a birthday. (but which one?)**

** Reviews are lovely and will encourage a faster update! **


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